


The Still Time

by wrackwonder



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Couch Cuddles, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 17:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15514416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrackwonder/pseuds/wrackwonder
Summary: Post 3x02. Nicole has a job to do. It's standard operating procedure. But it's not easy to follow instructions with shaking hands and an aching heart.





	The Still Time

Nicole was no stranger to Purgatory’s hospital. She was there multiple times a week, sometimes even every day, because Purgatory was a small town and its people were prone to injury. She’d spent her fair share of time here too, and in many other hospitals – Shae used to joke that she was an accident magnet and maybe it was true.

 

But it was different when it was Waverly on the gurney. Nicole suddenly hated the smell of bleach and urine in the air. She hated the unremarkable scrubs of the medical resident sitting next to Waverly’s leg. And she especially hated the tiny gasps of pain coming from Waverly’s mouth as the doctor injected her injury with lidocaine.

 

Waverly hissed as the freezing agent hit her skin. Nicole knew from experience how badly it could sting and she held Waverly’s hand as hard as she could.

 

“Almost done, baby,” she cooed, having no idea it was true or not. Waverly had barely spoken since arriving at the hospital. There were tears streaming down her face, but Nicole couldn’t be sure if it was from the pain of the syringe or because…

 

The gash on Waverly’s leg was deep, but it had already stopped bleeding. She’d have a scar, but otherwise, she’d be okay, she’d survive the day. Not all of them had.

 

Nicole watched as the doctor dutifully applied sutures, she counted each stitch, and after what seemed like forever, he pushed back and reached for a band-aid.

 

“Come back in ten days, Ms. Earp. You’ll be good as new,” the doctor said and Waverly rolled her eyes and released a humourless laugh.

 

As soon as the resident left the room, Waverly stood up, still holding Nicole’s hand but obviously eager to leave.

 

“I need to go…Wynonna…” she said and Nicole understood. Except she wasn’t quite sure if she was supposed to follow.

 

“Okay, I…”

 

“Haught!” Nedley’s voice rang through the halls and Nicole winced. He popped his head around the corner seconds later and raised an eyebrow at his deputy.

 

“Your turn to get checked out. No arguments,” he said and Nicole let go of Waverly’s hand to approach her boss.

 

“Sherriff, I’m fine.”

 

“Sure you are. Nearly fell to your death, go talk to a doctor, Nicole. That’s an order.” His voice was gruff, but the hand on her shoulder was warm and well-meaning.

 

“I’m the worst girlfriend ever,” Waverly’s voice was quiet, but Nicole turned, relieved that Nedley was already half-way down the hall.

 

“What? No you’re not!”

 

“I didn’t even ask about you.”

 

“I’m fine. Just some bruising,” Nicole said, wondering why she seemed to forever be falling and bruising her body. She’d had some close calls in the past, but never before had a demon cut the rope and nearly sent her plummeting to her death. It was a lot to take in.

 

“Officer Haught?” A nurse appeared around the curtain holding a clipboard.

 

“Listen, honestly, I’m okay,” Nicole said, but before Waverly or the nurse could say anything in response, Wynonna’s voice echoed down the hallway.

 

_Get your fucking hands off me! I’m going to break your face, shithead!”_

 

Waverly sighed and hung her head. She looked exhausted and Nicole found herself where she usually was when it came to the Earp sisters, a little on the outside. She understood, but it still stung to see Waverly look so conflicted.

 

“Go,” Nicole said, placing a comforting hand on the small of Waverly’s back.

 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly said in response. She was bruised and bloody and the scrubs the hospital had given her didn’t fit well.

 

“Don’t be. I’ll see you later?”

 

Waverly kissed Nicole lightly on the cheek and then left the room. It wasn’t exactly an answer to Nicole’s question.

 

~*~

 

The house looked the same as it had in the morning, which made Nicole uneasy. She knew that her blood-stained pant suit was still lying on her bed. There was an unwashed cup of coffee in the sink, which was uncharacteristic, but there hadn’t been time to clean it – she’d come home to grab her uniform, not clean the house.

 

In the morning Dolls had been alive. And now he was dead.

 

He’d handed her a new file that morning and then, without a word, he walked into the BBD office and she went to talk to Nedley. The file was in her hand. It felt heavy. Bloodstained. Haunted.

 

“Calamity,” Nicole called out, shrugging out of her jacket and checking her phone. There were no messages.

 

“Come on, girl, where are you?”

 

The house was dark and Nicole didn’t bother turning on any lights. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself, but the file needed to be taken care of immediately. As she approached the stairs, Calamity Jane slinked around the corner, staring up at her with uninterested green eyes.

 

“Hey, come here.”

 

Nicole scooped Calamity Jane from her spot on the chair and the cat settled quietly on Nicole’s shoulder. If it had been anyone else, Calamity would have clawed their face off, but she was used to Nicole, they had an understanding.

 

With Calamity Jane’s weight a comfort against her sore body, Nicole climbed the stairs and then paused, inhaling deeply as she reached for the string that would give her access to the attic.

 

Purgatory was a place filled with ghosts. Vampires had nearly destroyed the town hours ago, but the contents of her attic scared her more than any werewolf or sprite that threatened the county. She carefully ascended the ladder, somehow holding the file and Calamity with one hand. The cat’s claws were sharp against her shoulder, but she didn’t care if it meant bringing her little companion with her. She didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t feel like she had the right to reach out to any of her friends.

 

Because a choice had been made. And Dolls was dead.

 

A single, naked bulb illuminated the attic and the shadows it cast appeared long and threatening, but Nicole crossed the small space in two strides and lowered herself to the dusty floor.

 

Dolls had delivered the safe himself. He’d carried it up the rickety old ladder to the attic. He’d placed it against the wall. He’d programed the code. And then he’d given her short instructions for what to do in the event of his death.

 

Xavier Dolls was a man of few words. Nicole knew next to nothing about him – he had been in the military, he was part dragon, he seemed to like coffee and Chinese food. Otherwise, he was a blank canvas and she wondered if that was his choice or if she hadn’t pushed hard enough. Because he was her friend…he…had been her friend and he knew her deepest darkest secret. Not even Waverly knew, but Dolls knew. She had a feeling Dolls knew more than he’d ever let on. He knew them. They had barely known him at all.

 

Nicole settled Calamity in her lap and then quickly punched in the six-digit code Dolls had given her. She still remembered his voice intoning the numbers.

 

“ _Don’t write it down. Listen to me. Say it out loud. Again. Good.”_

 

The safe clicked and Nicole swung open the door. A pile of files sat inside and on top of them, a small, velvet, black box. Bulshar’s ring.

 

Nicole realized only belatedly that her hands were shaking when she reached out to lift the files and the box from their resting place.

 

“Probably should’ve brought a drink up here,” she said out loud, but if Calamity Jane agreed, she offered no sign.

 

Beside the safe, Dolls had also carefully placed a BBD briefcase. Nicole knew the procedure, she knew what she was supposed to do, but the day was catching up with her and her hands, her hands that ached from rope burn, would not stop shaking.

 

She had flipped through the files hundreds of times. She’d studied the photographs, the dates, but tonight it all felt like handling a venomous snake. Bulshar was more than a stack of papers and an antiquated ring. He was real and he was back and he was more powerful than any of them had imagined.

 

Nicole took one deep, centering breath and then another. She hated feeling so scared. She hated feeling like her mind was hiding secrets from her. But she needed to follow Dolls’ instructions. She owed that to him.

 

The briefcase had two cut-outs within, one for the files and the other for the ring box. Nicole placed the ring box in first and then turned to the files. Dolls had left a new one on her desk just this morning. It sat at the top of the pile, a green sticky note was stuck squarely in the corner. All it said was:

 

  * _D_



His last note to her. Not even his full name. She hadn’t opened this file yet and in the shadowy gloom of the attic, she didn’t feel that she had the strength for it. Dolls had told her exactly what to do.

 

_Step 1: secure the assets._

_Step 2…_

 

Well, step two she would complete tomorrow.

 

As she sat staring at the now closed briefcase, waiting for it to burst open, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She jumped, which made Calamity hiss and scamper off of her lap.

 

“Sorry, girl,” Nicole mumbled, reaching for her phone. She found a message from Waverly. A _few_ messages from Waverly.

 

_Can you come over?_

_I’m sorry, I know it’s cold…_

_And late…_

_Babe?_

 

Her hand stopped shaking as she texted back that she was on her way.

 

Step two would be completed tonight, after all.

 

~*~

 

It was the type of cold that seeped through gloves and toques and car doors. By the time Nicole arrived at the Homestead, her toes were frozen solid. But the Earp land made her feel steady on her feet and it was so much better than sitting in her attic all alone.

 

Waverly’s jeep was parked in the yard, but there was no sign of Doc. The Homestead glowed, it looked homey, as if nothing horrific had happened during the day and the Earp sisters were gathered around a crackling fire. Except Nicole knew better, so with some difficulty, she grabbed the contents of her car and made her way to the door. She managed to knock with the toe of her boot and couldn’t help but smile when a flustered Waverly suddenly appeared.

 

“Are you moving in?” Waverly immediately reached for the items in Nicole’s hands, grabbing Calamity Jane’s carrier first and then the blanket Nicole had draped over her shoulders.

 

“Sorry, just didn’t want to leave her alone,” Nicole answered. She rarely brought Calamity to the Homestead, but she didn’t trust Bulshar or his goons not to show up at her house and hurt her cat.

 

“What’s in the briefcase?” Waverly asked, lowing the cat carrier to the ground so she could free its occupant.

 

“Umm…”

 

“Is that a BBD case?”

 

“Yeah. Dolls he…”

 

“Those are the Bulshar files,” Waverly stepped back from Nicole and looked at the briefcase with suspicion.

 

“Dolls said to bring it here if anything ever happened to him. He said it would be safe on the Homestead.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Whatever magic existed in the soil would hopefully be enough to keep revenants at bay. It was their last defense against Bulshar’s power. And without Dolls, without the fire in his veins that kept the supernatural away, the Homestead was the only safe place left in Purgatory.

 

“It’s not just files,” Nicole said, feeling that it was important for Waverly to know about the potentially dangerous piece of jewellery she’d just invited into her home.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Bulshar’s ring. It’s…Dolls gave it to me,” Nicole explained.

 

“Holy snickerdoodles…”

 

“Exactly.”

 

The two women continued to stare at the briefcase, treating it like a bomb that might go off any minute, until Calamity made her presence known with a quiet, feline scream.

 

“Okay,” Waverly said, regrouping first, “we’ll keep it somewhere out of sight. I don’t think Wynonna should know about it…yet.”

 

“Speaking of Wynonna, where is she?” Nicole looked around the kitchen and living room, but judging by the quiet, the Earp Heir was not home. And neither was Doc. Which meant…

 

“Did they leave you alone?”

 

Concentrating on Waverly felt good. It made Nicole feel strong and she immediately set the briefcase down on the table so she could reach out and hold Waverly in her arms.

 

“Doc said something about the bar and Wynonna is off in the woods,” Waverly said, pressed against Nicole’s chest.

 

“After the day you’ve had? How could they do that?”

 

Waverly shrugged and pulled the blanket Nicole had brought tighter around her shoulders.

 

“Did you bring me the quilt from your bed?”

 

Nicole blushed.

 

“Yes? I mean, I know you like it and we’ve been outside most of the day and you’re always cold and…”

 

A hand was suddenly curled against the back of Nicole’s head, playing with the soft hairs at the base of her skull.

 

“You’re so sweet to me, baby,” Waverly said, tears in her voice. They were holding each other again so closely, Waverly’s lips pressed against the skin near Nicole’s open collar, and Nicole let herself relax and share in Waverly’s sadness.

 

“Hey, you shouldn’t be standing around on that leg!” Nicole said, breaking their momentary peace because focusing on Waverly was so much better than giving into the dark thoughts swirling around her head. About who she was. About the choice Wynonna had made. About Bulshar and the blood and the death...

 

“What about you? What did the nurse say?”

 

Nicole shuffled them both into the living room, pleased to see a fire already roaring in the hearth. She let Waverly sit down on the couch first, using a toss pillow to prop up her injured leg, and then with as much grace as she could muster, she slipped behind Waverly and wrapped her tightly in her arms. They were both covered in blankets, more blankets than Nicole had ever seen in one spot, but beneath the little cocoon, they were safe and warm.

 

Waverly leaned back against Nicole’s chest and sniffled a little. She’d been in a car accident. Then she’d been kidnapped and kept in a cage. A cannibalistic revenant stole her voice. And then Dolls…

 

“I’m fine. Skinned knees and some rope burns,” Nicole answered.

 

“Same,” Waverly said, lifting one hand for Nicole to see. She pressed a kiss to the reddened palm.

 

“She should have let go of the rope,” Nicole whispered and then froze when she realized she’d spoken out loud.

 

“Why would you say that?”

 

“Because maybe she could’ve helped him, maybe you all could’ve saved him?”

 

“And let you die instead?” Waverly didn’t turn around, but somehow beneath the layer of blankets her hands found Nicole’s forearms. Nicole felt her squeeze, she knew Waverly was holding the widow-shaped scar. It all suddenly made her feel tired.

 

Deep down, Nicole knew it wasn’t about choices. They were a team, a unit, each irreplaceable in their own way. But it was unfair that anyone had to die. It made her question her belief in justice. It made her wonder if, in the end, the good guys always won.

 

She decided to change the topic.

 

“Do you want me to go out and see if I can find Wynonna?”

 

The idea of leaving the warmth of the Homestead, of leaving Waverly, made Nicole’s entire body ache, but she also knew that if anything happened to Wynonna Earp, Waverly wouldn’t be okay.

 

“She lied to me. About mama,” Waverly’s answer made Nicole blink comically over her girlfriend’s shoulder.

 

“Wait…what?”

 

“Apparently mama’s in jail? She didn’t abandon us? She just lost her mind and ended up behind bars and decided I didn’t need to know…”

 

“Oh, Waves…”

 

“And I am _so_ angry at Wynonna, but I’m also so scared for her and sad for her and _uuuugh_.”

 

Waverly tilted her head back against Nicole’s shoulder.

 

“I’ll look into your mom’s files tomorrow. See what I can find out.”

 

“Dolls knew. About Mama.” Waverly’s voice was quiet and sad.

 

“I think Dolls knew a lot. About all of us.”

 

“But we didn’t know anything about him.”

 

Nicole kissed Waverly’s shoulder and sighed.

 

“Why didn’t we ask him more? About his life? His family?” Waverly’s questions hung in the air.

 

“I don’t know, baby.”

 

Outside, an angry voice shouted into the night, and while they couldn’t make out the words, they knew who it was and what it meant. Calamity Jane mewled from her spot by the fire place, looking up with curious green eyes.

 

“Wynonna’s home,” Waverly said.

 

Nicole and Waverly inhaled at the same time, but didn’t move from their blanket fort. Instead, they held on tight, listening to Wynonna’s mournful cries, and waited for the Heir to return.

**Author's Note:**

> RIP Xavier Dolls. Ouch, that one hurt. There's so much more I wanted to know about Dolls, so much more I wanted to see, but Shamier Anderson is an awesome dude and I wish him only amazing things in the future. 
> 
> As always, come chat with me on twitter (@wrackwonder). If you're coming to Eh Con, please say hi! I can't wait to meet everyone!
> 
> Your comments are often the light in my world so if you have one, please think about leaving it for me to read? I appreciate them so much! 
> 
> Hugs, everyone.


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